Method of and apparatus for distributing material



NOV. 24, 1931. c w WATERMAN. JR 1,833,192

METHOD op AND APPARATUS FOR mswamuwme MATERIAL Filed July 22'. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Nov. 24, 1931'. c. w. WATERMAN, JR 1 1,833,192

Filed y 22. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENT OR ATTORNEY Nov. 24, 1931.

' C. W. WATERMAN, JR

METHOD "6F AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIAL.

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METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIAL Fil ly 22. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY scoops portions of the overburden and dis-' Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES cnlrronn w. warnnm, .13., or KANSAS CITY, mrssounr METHOD 0! AND AIPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MATERIAL Application filed July 22,

.My invention relates to methods for removingand disposing of dirt, rock and like material and apparatus for employing the method, the principal object of the invention being to increase the distributing capacity of apparatus of this character without increasing the requirement of power for removing material and delivering the same to the distributing' elements. I

The invention is particularly ap licable to operations such as stripping coal eds in which a power shovel located over the bed tributes the same by means of a boom to piles or stacks adjacent the digging face of the pit. The machines are cumbersome and of great weight, and the weight must be increased greatly when the capacity of the shovels is increased. Y

The relatively long booms required for elevating scooped material to the tops of pitsmust be correspondingly heavier and more e zlpensive for distributing the loads to the pi es.

A large proportion of the operating time of the'power shovel isoccupied in swin ing the boom toward a selected point "of dlscharge over the pile and moving the scooped material to the point of discharge and returning the boom to operating position.

Efforts to increase the efliciency of power shovels comprise designing apparatus'adapt- ,ed to scoop largerportions of dirt so that each delivering operation of the boom will have greater value and thus compensate for the waste of time due to the prolonged intervals between delivering operations and scooping operations. v v

Machines capable of handling large quantities at'eac'h operation are relatively expensive and heavy, 7 yard machines weighing approximately 300 tons and costing approximately $100,000.00, whereas 15 yard machines may weigh 1,000 tons and cost million dollars. The cost of operating the heavy power shovels is relatively great since engines of highpower required both for scooping and elevating material from the pit, and the high power requisite for digging opera- 1929. Serial No. 819,890.

tions is employed for elevating and distributing the material to the piles.

The cost of machines having high capacity is one limiting factor handicapping any increase in the efliciency of power shovels, and v another limiting factor is the weight, since machines weighing several hundred tons are likely to break through the understructure of the coal bed when the understructure is not solid rock, and also are likely to crush 60 the coal on vwhich they are positioned. Coal beds more than 40 feet below the surface of the ground are not considered subject to strippfng operations, because of the excessive lengths of booms required for lifting and distributing material.

Particular objects of my invention therefore are to facilitate .the handling of over burden in coal stripping operations, to restrict the duty of excavating-machines to digging and lifting, to increase the range of operation of means distributing material dug by a power shovel, to increase the depth to which a pit may be dug by a power shovel located in the pit, and to reduce thehazard of breaking through the understructure of a coal bed.

In accomplishing these and other objectsof the invention, I have provided a new method and apparatus for employing the method, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pit and ma terial handling apparatus including a power Fig. 3 is a plan view of 'a portion of the apparatus, parts being broken away to better illustrate other-parts.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to that f Fig. 2 partly in section illustrating oper-' ating mechanism. 4 Fig. 5 isan end elevation of a portion of the apparatus, part of a ballast container being broken away to show pivotal "mounting of the end of elevating mechanism and construction of crawlertype propelling means.

here 16 running on the sprockets.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a flight conveyor and apron .feeders, one of the feeders being shown fragmentarily.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of 5 the conveyor.

, Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates generally a digging and elevating machine such as a power shovel adapted Y to be moved over a surface and including a m boom 2, a bucket or dipper 3 on the usual dip per stick, and means including cables 4' for operating the shovel. The excavating machine is illustrated as located on a surface comprising the bottom of a pit 6 representing an excavation formed .by the machine for uncovering a bed of coal. In ordinarypractice the dipper stick of the excavatingmachine is first manipulated to scoop a portion of material from the pit and the apparatus is then manipulated to elevate, shift and discharge the portion to a stack 7 adiacent the-digging face of the pit.

It is evident that much expenditure of pow-" er and a considerable period of time are-req ired for'lifting-the dipper to the elevation of the top of a stack and swinging the boom laterally from digging positions to discharging positions. and that a relatively long boom is required for efiecting the distributionof area increased. The stack will grow higher, and material will tend to flow from the stack back into the pit, since the ability of the boom to effect distribution of the material to points relatively distant from the pit is strictly limited. In order to reduce the time and power consumed by an excavating machine for discharging material, and thus increase the pro portionsof time and power employed by the machine, for scooping and elevating material and to increase the distributing range of apparatus of this character, I provide a mobile conveying unit including a self-propelled device includes a main frame comprising transverse sills 8, longitudinal sills 9 and 10, a

and a platform 11 composed of steel plates mounted on the sills, the frame being supported by caterpillar or crawler type tr'action members 12 at each corner of the frame.

Each caterpillar member includes ;supporting body .frame members 13, transverse shafts 14 at each end ofthe frames, drive sprockets 15 on the shafts and tread memthe material as the pit is deepened and its carriage and elevating and discharging mechanism later particularly described, which] Beams 17 extending longitudinally'under each transverse sill are provided with later- 1 ally pro 'ectin ears 18 for pivotal connection hand side in ,Fig. 4, is fixed to the longitudi--- nal sill 9. 1

The longitudinal sill 10 at the other side of the mam frame is of reduced depth to afford vertical spacing for interposing a plate .19 having ears for pivotal connection with upstanding cars 20 centrally located on the beam 17 associated with said sill whereby the beam and caterpillar members at said side of the mainframe are adapted to oscil- I late with relation to the-main frame as illus- 5 trated in-Fig. 4.

Each of the four caterpillar members is operatively connected with a propelling motor 22 through gears later described, in such manner that pairs of caterpillar members may be separately or coincidentl? operated to move the unit sidewise recti inearly or overan arc in the manner usual in caterpillar type traction apparatus.

A vertically pivotal boom 25 is provided with lateral trunnions 26 at-its lower end mounted in brackets 27 's'upportedby one side of the mainframe, and a fli ht distributing conveyor comprising an en less chainlike belt 28, later particularly described, operates overa path extending laterally centrally substantially across the main frame and throughout substantially the length of the boom. Longitudinally spaced open-bottom hoppers 29 and 30 extending laterally of the rame at each end thereof are adapted to receive material from the scoop of the steam shovel, and longitudinally oppositely operating apron feeders 31 and'32 located below the hoppers are adapted to receive and move material toward the center of the frame and deliver the same to the chain conveyor.

; The apron feeders comprise endless belts running on shafts 33 and 34 su ported in .bearingblocks 35 in the outer en sof chan. nel-like supports or frames 36 mounted on outer posts 37 and inner posts 38 erected on the platform, and on operating shafts 39 and 40 adjacent theelevating conveyor supported b pedestalsor standards 41 mounted on the p atform.

The shafts 39and 40 are selectively operable from' amotor ,42 and speed reduction unit 43 having a shaft 44, and mounted onthe platform. The shaft 39is adapted for direct driving relation with the driving shaft 44 through a chain 45.

The-shaft 40 has a gear 46 meshed with a gear 47 on an intermediate shaft 48 .operated through a chain 49 bythe motor, whereby the drive shaft 44 is enabled to operate the feeder 32 oppositel from the directionof operation of the fee er 31. Clutches such as '51 are'adapted respectively for efl'ectln driving connection between the motor an modate a drum 52 which is slidable on the shaft and provided with a clutch 53 for engaging the drum with the shaft for rotation therewith.

A cable 54 adapted to be Wound on the drum extends overa pulley 55 mounted in a longitudinal bracket-like support 56, and

through a tube 57 comprising a conduit through one of the hoppers. The cable runs back and forth over a series of pulleys or sheaves such as 58' and 59 mounted respectively on the upper end of an A frame member 60 mounted on the main frame, and a reinforced anchoring housing 61 adjacent the outer end of the boom whereby the motor '43 may effect elevation of the outer end of the boom.

A supplemental stabilizing cable 62 is wound on a manually operable drum 63 and extends over a pulley 64 insaid bracket 56 and over a pulley 65 at the upper end or said A frame to a point 66 intermediately of the length ofthe boom at which it is connected to the boom, for reinforcing the support of the relatively long boom.

Stays or guy wires 68 having outer ends attached. to eye bolts 69 fixed to the outer ends of the sill 9 have opposite ends fixed to the boom at intermediate positions indicated at 70 for preventing side sway of the boom.

Reverting to means for operating the caterpillar members and referring to Figs. 3 and 4,

pairs of operating shafts 71 and 72 includ ing sliding universal joint elements 73 and 74: have outer ends connected with one of the shafts of each caterpillar member.- Bevel bears 75 are provided on the inner ends of the shafts for the caterpillar members at the right side of the figures constantly meshed with bevel pinions 76 loose on a drive shaft 77 extending centrally transversely of the main frame.

A clutch lever 78 is adapted to shift a transverse connecting rod 79 to operate clutches 80 for locking'the bevel pinions 76 to the shaft and thus transmit motion to the gears I 75 and the shafts of the'caterpillar members at saidright hand side of the frame.

A similar clutch lever 78' is adapted to shift a second rod 81 for locking bevel pinions 82 to said drive shaft, the pinions being engaged with gears 83 on the ends ofthe operating shafts of the caterpillar members at the other side of the frame.

The drive shaft 77 is provided with a fixed gear 84 driven through a train of reduction gears 85 by a chain 86 from the shaft of the motor 22, the drivin connection between the motor and chain being controlled by a clutch 87.

Said motor 22 is .also adapted to operate the boom conveyor through a gear 188 onthe motor shaft, a gear 89 on-a counter shaft 90 and a gear 91 meshed with a second gear 92 on the counter shaft and fixed to a shaft 93 supported by pedestals 94 at the outer end of the path ofthe elevatin conveyor. A clutch 95 is providedfor e ecting driving connection between the motor and the boom conveyor operating shaft 93.

Controllers 96 and 97 are mounted on the platform forsetting up and suspending op-' eration of the motors and regulating the speed of operation.

"The apron feeders and elevating conveyor comprise axles 98, spaced chains at opposite ends of the axlescomposed respectively of lapping links 99 and 100, and rollers 101 having flanges 102 on the axle ends between the spaced chains. The inner links 99 have inwardly projecting shelves or flanges 103 to which the opposite ends of arcuate aprons or pans 104 are attached.

The outer chains and the bodies of the rollers ride on rails 105 secured to the frames and boom, the flanges of the rollers retaining the plate-supporting chains in their paths.

A ballast box 103 is suspended from the platform at the side of the main frameopposite to the boom to contain weights for counter balancing the boom.

The A frame may include pairs of vertically extending legs 107 and 108 extending upwardly angularly from opposite sidesof the main frames and preferably mounted on and secured to the longitudinal-sills. Apertures may be provided in the walls of the hoppers to accommodate the angularly extending legs of the A frame.

Skirt boards or delivery aprons 109 are supported by the main frame adjacent the paths of the apron feeders for guiding ma- -terial to the elevating conveyor.

A mobile conveying unit adapted to operate in accordance With my invention maybe positioned on the -ground adjacent and in front of an excavating machine to receive material from the scoop therofto move in advance of the machine, and is capable of distributing material to form a pile at a rela- 'tively great distance from the machin The excavating machine may be limited to size and power required for digging dirt and lifting the dirt sufficiently above the top of the pit resulting from its digging to deliver the dirt to the mobile unit. The unit, while ma fixed location for receiving material from the machine, may vary the distance and elevation of discharge by varying the eleva- I tion of the boom, and mayturn to vary the distance from the is discharged.

One or another hopper may be presented pit to which the material to the machine, depending on the direction in which the machine is movin or the directlon lnto which the boom of t e unit is to extend for distributing material.

The yardage capacity of a shovel of given given size will be enabled to remove a much greater depth of overburden, and the material -will be effectively distributed a suitable distance from the pit to prevent return of the material to the pit.

A field in which a machine adapted to v handle a foot overburden is operating,

and in which a substantial area has a 40 foot overburden, may be completely stripped by employing my invention, without the necessit for replacing the initially installed machine with one "of larger capacity andmuch greater cost. A relatively inexpensive machine, for example one having an foot boom, which under ordinary practice could dig a 30 foot pit and discharge waste to a spoil bank having a crown 30 feet above the dirt directly to the levee, thus obviating several-dirt handllngs.

A unit having a foot boom may Jnove along a levee site, and receive material directly from a drag line excavator having a boom 150 feet lon and thus effect continuous transfer of dirt from aborrow pit 300 feet wide for directly building a levee 35 feet high, greatly reducing the cost and time of levee-- construction under strict compliance with government specifications.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a carriage including a frame, trucks supporting each end of the frame for longitudinal movement of the carriage over a supporting surface, a boom pivoted to one side of the frame, a conveyor support on the frame, an endless belt conveyor running on the boom and on said support horizontally across the frame, a hopper mounted on the frame above each of said trucks, and feeders movable longitudinallyof the frame beneath said hoppers for delivering material received therefrom to the conveyor.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a carriage including a frame, trucks supporting each end of the; frame for longitudisize will thus be increased, and a shovel of.

naasuoa nal movement of the carriage over a 'su porting surface, a boom pivoted to one si e of the frame, a counter-weight mounted on the opposite side of the frame, a conveyor support on the frame, an endless belt running on the boom and on said support, a hopper mounted on the frame above each'of said trucks, and feeders movable longitudinally parallel spaced paths, the members of one.

of said pairs tracking the members of the other of said pairs, a hopper mounted on the frame above each of said laterally aligned pairs of traction members, a boom pivoted to the frame extending at right angles to the direction of movement of the carriage, a conveyor running on said boom and across the frame between said hoppers, and feeders movable beneath said hoppers for delivering material therefrom to said conveyor.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a frame including outer andin-ner parallel sills, traction members rotatively mounted on the outer sill in spaced relation one behind the other, a subframe member pivotally mounted on the inner sill, traction members rotatively mounted on said subframe member, a boom pivotally mounted at the outer edge of the frame. a counterweight mounted at the inner edge of the frame, a conveyor running on the boom, and means for delivering material to said conveyor.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a mobile conveying unit comprising a frame, trucks supporting each end of the frame for longitudinal movement of the unit over: a supporting surface, hopper members mounted on the frame above each of said trucks, longitudinally spaced feeders for receiving material delivered to the hopper members and movable longitudinallyof the frame toward. each other for delivering material to the space between the feeders, a conveyor support extending transversely across the frame,

a boom having pivotal mounting at one side of the frame in alignment with said support, and conveying means associated with said support and boom for receiving material from the feeders and distributing the material laterally from the unit.

'In testimonvwhereof I aflix my signature.

CLIFFORD W. WATERMAN, JR. 

